We Are Building a New Generation of Leaders --- Gov. Dickson ....... As Prof. Wole Soyinka Library is Unveiled at the Ijaw National Ac...
We Are Building a New Generation of Leaders --- Gov. Dickson
....... As Prof. Wole Soyinka Library is Unveiled at the Ijaw National Academy in Kaiama
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, has said the huge investment the Bayelsa State Government had in made in the educational sector in the last five years was intended to build a new generation of leaders in the state in particular and the country at large.
Governor Dickson stated this at the Ijaw National Academy in Kaiama, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the State when the state hosted Nigeria's foremost literary icon and Africa's first Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and other cream of literary icons from within and outside the state to a special programme tagged: "A Day With Professor Wole Soyinka and Ijaw Literary Icons" on Friday.
Noting that his administration had spent over N55 billion on educational infrastructure in the State, Governor Dickson said the Ijaw National Academy was among the 15 full boarding schools which the State Government had established, and urged the students of the Ijaw National Academy to work hard at their studies.
Dickson who expressed appreciation to Professor Wole Soyinka for giving the state the rare honour to come for the interaction with the students of the Ijaw National Academy also thanked the Ijaw literary icons such as Dr. Gabriel Okara, Professor J.P Clark, Professor Ebiegberi Alagoa, Professor W. Ganagana, amongst others.
Liking the standard of the infrastructure of the boarding schools in the state to what is obtainable in most tertiary institutions in the country, Governor Dickson charged the students to make best use of the facilities provided and urged them to stay away from cultism, examination malpractice, drug abuse and other social ills in order for them to realize their life dreams.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Principal of the Ijaw National Academy, Mr. Charles Johnson, reminded the students of Governor Dickson's statement the previous day at the academy that they would not only be leaders of Bayelsa State alone but also of Nigeria in the near future. He encouraged the students to learn from the experiences of others, which he noted, was one of the ways of activating wisdom.
The high points of the event were the unveiling of the Professor Wole Soyinka Library, and the colloquium with Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, and Ijaw literacy icons, in which Governor Seriake Dickson also participated, as questions from the students of the Ijaw National Academy were tackled.
The occasion was spiced up with Ijaw cultural displays, recitation of poems and special performances by students drawn from the Ijaw National Academy, the Nembe National Grammar School, and Saint Jude's Girls Secondary School.
Public functionaries who were present at the event include the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtd.); the Secretary to State Government, HRM Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff; Wife of the Governor, Dr. Rachel Dickson, and Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Talford Ongolo. Others are the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Jonathan Obiebite; Deputy Chief of Staff, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu Brown, the Chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers' Council, HRM Chief Diete Spiff and other top government functionaries.
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